Driver Murder in Ctg

Transport workers to go on 48-hr strike

Staff Correspondent

24 April, 2019 12:00 AM

CHATTOGRAM: Organisations of transport workers enforced a 48-hour strike in two phases protesting the killing of a bus driver in the port city.

The strike will be observed on 87 routes to and from Chattogram from 6:00pm today (Wednesday).

The deceased was identified as Jalal Uddin, 50, a bus driver of Shymoli Paribahan and resident of Dinajpur district.

The bus helper Azim Uddin alleged that a group of seven persons identifying themselves as members of Detective Branch (DB) signaled their Chattogram city-bound bus in Shikalbaha Bridge area in between Patiya and Karnaphuli police stations around 11:30pm on Monday night.

They ‘DB-men’ boarded on the bus for searching Yaba tablets and inquired the bus driver about the drugs.

At one stage, the DB-men beat, kicked and punched the bus driver when he denied having any drug, he said.

Sensing critical condition of the driver, the cops left the scene putting him inside the bus, claimed the helper Azim.

The driver was rushed to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where on-duty physicians declared him dead, he said.

The hospital’s police outpost Nayeek Md Ameer said a bus driver was brought at the hospital around 4:00am and he died later.

Contacted, Eastern Zone Road Transport Workers Federation President Mrinal Chowdhury told the daily sun that they called a 24-hour strike for passenger vehicles on 68 inter-district routes and 19 other routes adjacent to Arakan Road from 6:00pm on Wednesday to 6:00am Thursday.

Besides, another 24-hour strike will be enforced for all passenger and goods-carrying vehicles in greater Chattogram from 6:00am on Sunday to 6:00am on Monday, he said.

He warned that they would go for tougher movement if the accused cops are not brought under trial immediately.

Chattogram Superintendent of Police (SP) Noor E-Alam Mina said they asked the worker leaders to file case in this regard.